


Not As Strong

by SaraJaye



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Atonement - Freeform, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Gen, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Protection, Tea, Vulnerable Azula, Worried Iroh, Worried Zuko, mention of child death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 12:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20390062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: The difference between being the favored and the not favored is the volume of abuse taken by the former.





	Not As Strong

When he first notices the bruise on her arm, he takes it for granted that she hurt herself playing or training. Iroh knows well enough that children aren't always careful, especially excitable young ones like Azula. He sends her off to the physician to get treated, and tells her to be more careful in the future.

When she comes to dinner with a red spot on her cheek, quieter than usual, he asks if she's feeling well. He knows a fever has spread through some of the noble families, and that Azula was playing with Ty Lee shortly before her family was stricken with it. Azula crankily tells him she's just fine before focusing intently on her plate. Zuko starts to ask if she's sure, but Ozai's glare silences him. _Dare you accuse your only sister of lying?_

He spends more time with Zuko because he knows the boy misses his mother dearly, and Ozai favors Azula anyway. But it's Zuko who brings up the other bruises hidden by Azula's clothes.

"I didn't see them myself, Mai told me about them. She saw them while she and Azula were changing clothes one day, and she was worried." He frowns. "She's always in a bad mood, even for her, and she's spending more time in her room. I think she _is_ sick, Uncle." And Iroh remembers a certain rare blood disease that killed one of his soldiers, how his whole body was mostly one big bruise until he couldn't even walk anymore.

Now he's worried, and he needs to tell his brother. He knows Ozai isn't a soft, fatherly type, but Azula is more or less his favorite child. If anything, he should see that the doctor checks up on her in case she _is_ dangerously ill.

On his way to the royal training grounds, however, he hears Azula cry out, followed by a whimpered apology. Ozai says something, and Iroh's stomach twists.

"-ever again. Understood? I expect _more_ of you than that."

"Yes, Daddy." He barely hears her, but her tone suggests she's struggling not to burst into tears.

He's seen the way Ozai treats Zuko. The verbal abuse, the unfavorable comparisons to Azula, making him feel like he _shouldn't_ have been born at all. Zuko is an openly sensitive child, caring and thoughtful, obviously in need of protection.

Azula has always seemed stronger, more formidable. She rejects any attempts at nurtiring and protection, aspires to be just like her father. Ozai praises her, uses her as a stick by which to measure all firebending, especially his son's.

In retrospect, Iroh realizes perhaps he shouldn't be surprised by the truth.

Ozai stalks off the training grounds, leaving a shamed Azula in his wake. She sits down and hugs her knees to her chest, her shoulders shaking as she tries not to cry. While Iroh wouldn't have been _happier_ if she were ill, this is obviously much worse.

He quietly approaches her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinches away with a stifled scream.

"Leave me alone."

"How long has he been doing this, Azula?"

"None of your business. You don't care anyway, Zuko's your favorite."

"Azula-"

"Go away!"

He shoves aside any guilt or self-blame he feels for not trying harder to look after her, and goes to fetch the physician. The left side of her face is badly bruised, and he can see a few fresh burn marks on her left hand. He doesn't even need to wonder what Ozai does, or what he's punished her for. _It's what Father used to punish **him** for when he was a child._

Back then he could barely do anything to help his brother, he was already married with a child. Father kept them apart as much as he could, Ozai was just a spare for the throne in case something happened to Iroh. And Iroh listened, because nobody defied Father and got away with he.

He would have risked whatever punishment necessary to step in. Maybe then Ozai wouldn't be treating his children the same way.

He follows the physician to the infirmary, sits beside Azula as her wounds are treated, and to his surprise she lets him carry her back to her room. Zuko is waiting there, looking worried.

"Is she going to be okay, Uncle?"

"None of your business, Zuzu, get out of my room!" Azula snaps. Zuko doesn't budge as Iroh settles her onto the bed, and Zuko hugs her carefully. Azula struggles and yells at him but he won't let go, and soon she's given up, bawling her eyes out onto his shoulder.

He's never seen her cry before. Zuko looks like he's at a loss, all he can do is sit there and pat her back as she lets out little screams of anger and pound on his other shoulder. Her tiny fists don't look like they hurt much, but Iroh is tempted to stop her anyway.

Instead, he quietly leaves the room to go make tea. Because it's what he's always done in a time of crisis. Tea can't erase what's already been done, it can't take back cruel words, it can't revive the dead. But it can provide some form of relief. Just the right blend of leaves can even relax an anxious heart.

He needs to come up with a plan for how to deal with this, and it's going to take as much calm and fortitude as possible.

When he returns with a tray and three cups, Azula's sitting with her knees to her chest in a corner of her bed, Zuko awkwardly patting her shoulder. She's not fighting him anymore, but she still looks hurt and embarrassed. She does accept a cup of tea, however, and allows Iroh and Zuko to sit beside her as they drink.

Azula looks more vulnerable than he's ever seen her look, and Iroh thinks of his own son at the last moments of his life. _You would want me to protect them, wouldn't you, Lu Ten? If you were here, you would be ready to throttle Ozai right this second._

He failed to protect his own son, and that will be his eternal shame. He can't erase it, but hopefully, he can atone for his errors by protecting Ozai's children.

"Tomorrow, I will tell your father that you've both taken ill," he says quietly. "I'll claim to be taking you to a doctor away from the city." Zuko blinks.

"Can you get away with that?"

"I may no longer be the powerful force I was, and I may have lost the throne to your father. But I have my methods." Azula almost smiles.

"Sneaky? I didn't think you had it in you." She looks away. "I _guess_ I don't mind taking a day off, then. Just promise me we can have fun, I don't wanna sit around playing pai sho and drinking tea all day!" Iroh chuckles, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair. She hates when people do that.

"Oh, we'll find plenty to do where I have in mind."

One way or another, he will grant Azula at least one day of protection from Ozai's fists.


End file.
